Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-03-17
V yvoGkly Intalligsncer
EAxoAsrsn. MARCH II, ,sy7.
Iron Bridges.

II
I.AuOA0IBn. MARCH II, lE7.
Iren Bridges.
h Engineering Ne,cs, of New York.
~ thA& Il has found the defect in the
1o11pa tgidge and has determined that the |
oel1snt Vas due to gross deficiency in
Gfesn0th q two iron rods. These it says
ge originally Of bad iron and were badly |
- into the bridge. They exhibited old
&oefurss and flaws where the final
tennkage occurred. The Necs does not
Aollfate 70 place the responsibility for the
t1.nstee upon the imperfection Of the
,eEidgs end consequently upon the com. |
puny that permitted its use in such condi-
tien. The inspection Of it must have been
vEy poor, and the company's liability in
6asnages to the sufferers and itscondemna.
:lica IN public opinion will be very great.
& The Ne,cs Il high authority in railroad
eoginesring, and has the evidence upon
which IL bases its judgment in the broken
ixuo that was secured by the engineer
bguksu bridge. It expresses surprise that
ths bridge should have endured 30 long as
Il has; it has been built for eleven years.
This fact may be urged in opposition to
NE view that the bridge iron was originally
decbetiys, - it WI not be readily under
A1ood how It could have endured eleven
Soazs Of service IL the iron originally was
xaaically bad. The general opinion is likely
to b that the bridge was sufficient when
erected and became impaired by use and
time. This will not in any way excuse the
company, who failed to have it properly
inspected. The old flaws in the iron would
have been readily disc9yered on examina-
uon: 1s2 exR m0wn that iron bridges
Q9SSN constant inspection. Iron crystal
lizes by use and when it fails, it does not
give way gradually like wood, but goes at
once.
For this reason Mr.. Nichols, the chief
engineer Of the Philadelphia II Reading
railroad, has just said to reporter inter
viewing him as to the strength of one o
the Philadelphia bridges Of his road, tina
he prefers wooden to iron bridges an;
we should think that the preferenc
would be generally among engineers
il not among railroad builders. Woode
bridges are much cheaper than iron in thei
first cost, but We presume they must b
costlier in the long run, else the iro
bridges would not be so generally substi
I tuted for them. Wooden structures ar
supposed to be of shorter life and to re
quire more repairs, but their defects ar
readily observable and their weakness give
warning to avoid catastrophy. An irol
brace OF bolt specifically perfect may Civ,
way at any time and destroy the bridge
Mr. Nichols statement of this is charm
ingly frank and suggestively bloody. II
says iron crystallizes irregularly an
breaks without warning. Passengers hav
to take those chances just as man VIII
goes to war must take his chance of bein
killed. It is refreshing that he has the grac
toadd: "For this reason personally prefe
wooden bridges to iron ones, as they Civ
moro certain and speedier warning Of veal
ness."
For we do not suppose that passenger
who buy tickets for safe transportation i
times pfpeace, feel any inclination to NEE
on their passage the chances Of war. 1t
indeed novel idea, if the railroad peopl
entertain it, that they are permitted to e1
pose their passengers to any such dangers
and IL they lurk in the iron bridge it will b
necessary for the law to restrain their eret
tion. If engineers concede, as Mr.. Nict
OILS seems to, that the utmost care will nc
ensure the iron bridge against sudden di:
solution, they must be done away with
Mr.. Nichols said to the reporter that tn
Norris street bridge, about which he il
quired, sis perfectly safe, and I'll stak
my reputation on it. We einspect it CAREFUL
and constantly, and it is keyed up wheneve
the slightest need appears !" and that b
might tell all passengers coming into G
going out Of the Ninth and Green stree
station that they are as secure from dangt
when passing over the Norris street birds
as when crossing the new Columbia, whie
everybody knows is model of streng,
and security"
But even on bridges that are mode
Of strength and security" as we unds
stand him, the passenger goes as thou,
encOuntering the chances Of war. N
IS Nichols idea Of model of security dc
not seem to be high or his view of [
risk Of war may be low but it is not at
comfortable to he advised by the hi,
authority Of a great railroads chi
engineer that We cannot enter upon ir
bridges that are models of strength al
beauty with perfect confidence that th
may not drop from under US.
1. They Let 1t BE.
The Philadelphia Republicans ha
asreed not to disturb the Philadelphia CO
81 Gressional districts, and consequently N
haudalis Democratic district is preserve
+ ~ = nrn nuita In kl,a hacd, ~ A. D..a